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We are starting from a good base - 657,000 passengers have flown with Air India from Birmingham to destinations across India since 2013.

In that time, travel between Birmingham and Delhi has grown by 88 per cent while travel to Amritsar has grown by more than 300 per cent.

Birmingham Airport is to undergo a major redevelopment (Image: Birmingham Mail)

Our region has a historic bond with India and I am keen to grow these routes, expand trade and explore new connections with India's other major hubs.

Back at home, the West Midlands is already at the heart of the UK travel network and this will only be enhanced by the arrival of HS2.

When it opens in 2026, Birmingham Airport will be the only airport served directly by high-speed rail - just 38 minutes from central London, offering a real alternative for airline customers in the South East.

We are on the cusp of a period of great success in the West Midlands and this plan from Birmingham Airport reinforces the dynamism.

Nowhere is that more in evidence than in the area immediately around the airport, with JLR's centre of manufacturing in Solihull, the ongoing investment in the NEC - now under the ownership of the Blackstone Group - and the prospect of Steven Knight, creator of Peaky Blinders, bringing his own brand of film studios to the area.

For certain, this must be one of the most investable areas in Britain and Europe.

As mayor, it's now my job to showcase this potential to the region, the country and the world.